Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-19
GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
sAContiaae9 from Sirth Poqc.

the manner in which safe has sbeen
attacked and the character of the marks
left upon It, something pointing TO the
identity of the operators. There is only
limited rumber of first class bank
burglars In existence at any given time,
and they and their methods are all more
or less familiar to the police. When
really first class Job has been done,
therefore it is reasonable TO suppose that
one or another of these men has had
hand in it. The next step is to inquire
which OF these persons were out of jail at
the time the robbery was committed,
and OF these, which were ia
part of the country where il would
be physically possible for them
10 have been concerned in the burglary.
This determined, it remains to carefully
investigate the late actions and associates
Of the suspected persons and TO work up
whatever circumstantial evidence may be
available. In this way the inquiry is
gradually narrowed down and the grounds
Of suspicion strengthened, until at length
The situation warrants an arrest, but even
then the work OF proving the guilt Of the
prisoners to the satisfaction of q Jury mas
still to be done, Gnd this often turns out
TO be the most SrduOus part of the affair.
In the present instance the inYestiga-
ton was complicated by the fact thst an
unusually large number of tirst-Ciass
thieves happened TO be at liberty, thus
charging the area of suspicion. The
only conclusion which it would be quite
safe 10 come 10, at this stage of the pro-
ceediGgs, was that some tirst-C!ass man
had been st WORK here. And yet there
were some idications which seemed to
po.Dt al something more than on ordi-
nary professional burglary. Granting
he truth OF WeTkle's story that he was
compelled by threats of death TO give up
the keys and reveal the combination thus
enabling he thieves to enter the vault
uD:mp-deG, how could they have
calculated so nicely the time necessary TO
omen the safes inside, and which safes 20
attack? How sCCCunt for their evident
familiarity with ell the arrangements and
nterna! workings Of the institution?
Such knowledge was not u be picked up
Dy outsiders, however cunning and
persistent. How, then, was il to be
obtained: The Inspector shook mis-
head. Ii certainly looked very much as
4 the thieves had enjoyed the advantage
4 some UnprCfsssiOnsl assistance, and
where could such assistance come from,
if it were to be of any practical use,
unless from some source inside the bank
Itself?
Ii was q grave question, not TO be light
" or prematUrely answered. Once adj
NIT II, ard NO one connected with the
Jsuk, from the president to the Ctlice-bUy,
would be outside the limits OF suspicion.
Il would add Ten fold to the obstacles in
ne way Of unravelling the mystery, since
t wUald ue Impossible to de-
termine whether the very per-
son upon whom chief reliance for in
formation was placed, might not be pre-
cjselv the person who was guilty, and
whose whole sin would, therefore, be TO
mislead inquiry. But, IN addition TO the
officers and employees of the bank, there
we're the dPp0sitors TO be considered. Il
wss possible for q deposit0r, especially
for one Of the better class, TO obtain g
good deal OF information concerning the
interior structure and system of the office.
SuCh q depOsitoT might be friend to one
Of the clerks, or even one Cf the directors,
and on more OF less confidential relations
with ain TC identify such an intrigueT
might cOnCeiysbly be practicable. but It
would he an exceedingly difficult under
-aNing, AMI was likely TO be an Indefinitely
I-0Ionged one.
ON the other hand, the fact thst the
safes within ne vault were broken open
instead OF being worked by their COM
3juatfOns, tended 10 show that the Inside
source OF information Of such there
were had failed a. this point. 1t was
not 10 be forgotten, however, that he
breaking open might itself be blind,
intended to dissipaUe the inside accom-
plice theory. But, again. it would hardly
be deemed probable that so much yalus
Die time should have been sacrificed
merely to attain SO predetermined 3
result. To the thievlug fraternity money
: money, and there are very few things
TO take precedence of i. Ii was better 70
supnose, Professionally, that they lad used
I'll the information they could get, and
mad then Genended upon their mechanical
Implements ana skill.
The Investigation OF the vault occupied
the Inspector more than en- hUGr. When
ne came out ne felt thst he knew ali that
lncre was 10 he learned from il. Il did
no. amount 70 3 great deal, but it vas
something The next thing in order wss
to examine witnesses and hnd out now
iar their stories agreed with or contra
dicted the theories ne had formed.
BIZ ;b.s time, however, the officers OF
the bank had begun 70 arrive, and i was
desirable to have & preliminary interview
with them without delay. They were as
Spmhigi in the presidents room when the
5nsnpct0r entered and exchanged g-eGl-
mas with them He briefly acquainted
them with the state Of affairs, and then
sskec whether they had reason 10 thlab
tra1 auy emDloye Ct the bsnh would De
ggnable of participating in the crime.
After pause, one OF the directors re-
piled that they We're unable 10 hasten sus
njcicu on anyone. All their employs s
had been in the service of the oanh
number OF wears, and had never been
found untrustw0rthy.
To this the inspector answered tAS' me
worst way to treat e trustworthy man
vVqs 10 trust him TOO much. There was
a double risk: first, that he himself mlgnt
abuse their confidence, and second, tna'
eyjuv disposed persons, finding hlm 10 DE-
nossessed of certain secrets or other vs.
uables. might be tempted to aostTsci
them from him, either by guile or y Vio'
.enCe-tbe consequence to the oanh oe!ns
The same in both cases.
$50 far as you NAV refer 20 LOUIS " Ct
kle." returned the director, I'VE can c2,y
sav that we are convinced OF the mah
personal Integrity. 1t is true mat an lul.
.oortant trust was contded 10 MIN; oui
though he had the vault combination II
order that he might get at the oooAs
which were kept II it, and place them vL
me clerks desk in the morning, LIS C!o
not give him access 20 the interior saIe;
in which the money is KEEP: MneIt